I'll Take Your Hand Will You Accept My Heart?
by Amimegustamuchascosas
Summary: They must have been brutally tortured. The story behind this quote. TsengxElena


Disclaimer; Everything from here on out belongs to Square Enix/Soft.

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I knew my battered body would neverbe the same. The cold wind whipped at my open wounds, and sent a new pain into them. I didn't call or cry out because of its familiarity. Neither of us did much more than let out a few whimpers each time the blade cut. The wounds got deeper as the trio became more impatient. "Where's Mother"  
I didn't answer, for that I earned a deeper and more painful cut than before. I tried to stifle a scream, I clenched my jaw but a yelp still came out. My attacker's cruel eyes glared and I looked away, an easy task, it was dark. I felt someone grasp my hand and squeeze lightly. Tseng was offering a warning to me "don't betray Shinra" his grasp said, no it was encouragement, no matter how unattainable Tseng is he wouldn't ever be that cold hearted. Either way I was glad that his hand was there, it made me feel stronger.  
"Where's Mother"  
Those two accursed words, those awful, damnable words, never before had two words sounded so malicious and terrifying. Those words were the only ones that accompanied our capture, torture and soon our death. Although somehow they aren't the most painful words I know. The most painful are the ones I've yet to say, the ones I can't say.  
Pain shot suddenly through my leg. "Ahh!" I felt the grasp get tighter. Oh no that was my fault, I screamed. They had gotten to me and they knew it. I had lost control; they gained immediate power and domination of the situation. I got carried away with my thoughts and paid the price. Kadaj's smile widened as he spoke slyly the two words that I knew he would. The ones that he had been for the past couple of days, or perhaps hours. How long has it really been? How long have we been here back to back, freezing and bleeding in the dark? I really can't tell anymore, I was exhausted yet I knew the pain kept me awake and alert.  
The one with the longest hair, Yazoo turned suspiciously to a noise in the distance. He went towards it and the others followed.  
"Are you alright?" Tseng's whisper resonated in the cave a little bit, it had awkward sound qualities. Every tiny vibration was magnified, but that is to be expected of a cave. "Yes"  
I know it was the wrong time and place, but it was also the end so why not say it? The words left unsaid cut deeper than any blade ever could. If this was truly the end I didn't want to go into the Lifestream with regrets. There was more captivity than the ropes that kept my hands in place behind my back. An imprisonment that laid claim to my heart and my lips, I named it professionalism. His professionalism, his work first attitude which although I admired, I strongly wanted him to toss it aside at least once. Maybe it wasn't professionalism maybe that was a scapegoat for the fact that I was afraid to say it. When did I become so weak that I would fear rejection? So was I alone because I was afraid of being alone? Why didn't that make sense?  
"Tseng, I-" I felt by face burn up, it must have been a terribly deep shade of red. My mouth was stuffy, dry and felt like cotton. "Just say it!" My brain was screaming. "Why is this so hard?" "I love you!" The words echoed in the room and hung in the air for what seemed like forever. The lamp light became terribly bright out of nowhere and Kadaj picked up Tseng from where he sat and held him in front of me. He steadied his blade threateningly at Tseng's neck. This was my second and most dangerous mistake today, my enemy found my weakness.  
"Where's Mother"  
He dug with his blade a little bit into Tseng's neck a small line of blood trickled out of the wound. My mind raced. Where was the head? In the severity of the moment didn't even remember. "Say something, he'll die!" My brain seemed to voice its opinion loud enough, why can't my tongue react? It nearly destroyed me when I found out what Sephiroth had done to him. "It won't happen again, not while I can stop it. Not again, not again say something, anything"  
"Cloud Strife, Midgar." Kadaj smiled and dropped Tseng, and then everything went black.  
I awoke to a different scene than I had expected. I saw the moon first, glowing a bright white and beautiful. I was outside the cave somewhere else, if there were no other higher powers that be I would thank that precious moon. I scanned the area and recognized it immediately, the Forgotten City. My hands were still bound and Tseng was still next to me, alive and as well as one could be enduring the torture that we did. He glanced over at me and smiled, I smiled back. Was this his answer? What the heck does a smile mean anyways? I think you're a great person but we probably shouldn't or does it mean yes?  
"They're gone for now," he continued, "but they'll be back, you should get some sleep"  
"Do you like Aeris?" he laughed. Why would he laugh?  
"Did Reno tell you that"  
"Yes"  
He laughed again and then continued, "He came in one day and started harassing me, asking if I liked Aeris repeatedly and I told him 'I think Aeris is attractive' and he left, nothing more." I breathed a sigh of relief.  
"And what do you think about me?" I asked timidly. He was silent for a while.  
"I think you are a strong, beautiful and intelligent woman"  
"But…" I began for him.  
"But, nothing. I never would have guessed that you feel the same way about me as I do about you"  
"Do you really mean that?" I asked joyfully.  
He nodded his head and began to laugh "And I thought you weren't gonna let me hold your hand." I laughed alongside him. Everything felt alright, how odd fate was to make me feel so happy when I was about to die.  
"So we run for it"  
"Elena, I couldn't get up if I tried"  
"So what do we do"  
"They're going to find out you gave them false information and then come back, I'd rather not think of what's going to happen after that." He was silent again for a while and then said "You should get some sleep; I'll wake you when they come back"  
There was a shuffling sound not far from us. A figure was watching. He held something glowing in his hand, at first I thought it to be materia of some kind and then I realized it was a golden not a yellow. The figure stepped out of the shadows and I saw that it wasn't something he was holding but rather, his hand. It was Vincent Valentine.  
"Vincent, help us please!" I begged. He didn't answer, I continued. "Do it because you were a Turk once. And if not for that then for the sake of compassion and pity"  
Vincent cut our bonds, helped us get to a safer place and bandaged our wounds. We told him all we knew about Kadaj and Jenova. We heard gun shots in the distance. I began to worry that they were coming for us and slinked back into the shadows. Vincent excused himself and walked off in the direction of the noises.  
I crawled into Tseng's arms, he seemed surprised at first but he didn't turn me away. I had been scared not just these past few days, but all my life. I was scared I was going to end up alone, but now there's someone with me. I could spend forever in his arms. I rested my head on his chest. The stars glistened and the moon beamed softly, illuminating his handsome face. We were rescued and recovering the world had finally done something good for me. His gentle heartbeat and warm embrace put me to sleep.

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I sympathize with Elena and I love this pairing. I truly hope you all enjoyed it even though some of you may not agree. Reviews are very much appreciated!


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